Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon & 5K Race Details

The Courses

Half Marathon

START 8:00 AM
With an elevation gain of only 60 feet, the Smuttynose Rockfest Half is the flattest, fastest, and most scenic half marathon course in New England!

The course begins with two thrilling loops around downtown Hampton Beach with thousands of spectators cheering you on. You’ll then head north on Ocean Boulevard right along the beach before turning inland for a loop through tree-lined roads and coming back out to the ocean at mile 10. You’ll finish with a three-mile stretch along the beach, ending at the famous Sea Shell Stage for a well-deserved party!

This course is very spectator friendly with great views of the runners at the Start, Mile 2, Mile 5, and at the Finish. Every mile has a marker and all corners have at least one arrow. Race marshals and police will be stationed at any confusing corners.

The race starts in designated pace corrals. The half course is measured and according to USATF standards, Certification applied for.

This course is very spectator friendly with great views of the runners at the Start, Mile 2, Mile 5, and at the Finish. Every mile has a marker and all corners have at least one arrow. Race marshals and police will be stationed at any confusing corners.

The race starts in designated pace corrals. The half course is measured according to USATF standards. The certification is pending.

5K Course

START 8:40 AM
The 5K course is comprised of the first 3.1 miles of the half marathon course, which means you’ll be cheered on by thousands of spectators as you run beside the beautiful Atlantic ocean! After crossing finish line, head on over to the famous Sea Shell Stage where the Rockfest after-party awaits! 5k runners experience the same great food, band, and beer garden. They just get the party started a little earlier!

5k runners line up on B Street and start at 8:40 a.m. BE SURE TO GET YOUR BIB before 8 A M.

2023 maps coming soon!

Packet Pickup

Packet pickup will be held at Brown Avenue & Ashworth Avenue Hampton, NH 03842 on Saturday, September 30 from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Sunday October 1 from 6:00 AM to 8:15 AM. In order to receive your beer garden bracelet before the race, please bring a valid ID to packet pickup. Anyone under 27 years old must have a valid ID at the point of service.

Don’t want to worry about packet pickup? Add on packet mailing during registration and get your bib and race swag shipped right to your door!

Directions

Both the 5k and half marathon start at the corner of D Street and Ashworth Avenue. There are three ways to get into Hampton Beach. The most common route is to come in on 101 East directly to the beach. However, this event draws over 8,000 runners and spectators annually, so if everyone uses 101 we’ll have a 5-mile backup!

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO COME EARLY ! To make this a smooth event for everyone, we ask runners to be prepared to arrive on race-day between 6:00-6:30 a.m. For more options to get into Hampton, please use one of these alternate routes:

OPTION 1 – WINNACUNNET ROAD
-Take 101 East (Exeter Hampton Expressway) to Exit 13.
-Take a right on Rte 27/Exeter Rd and continue until you reach the traffic light at Lafayette Rd.
-Take a right on Lafayette Rd.
-After 1/4 mile take a left on Winnacunnet Rd and follow it to the end.
-Take a right on Rte 1A South and follow it to Hampton Beach. Park in the large lot before Ashworth by the Sea Hotel.

Map View

OPTION 2 – ROUTE 1A
-Come up 95N and take Exit 60 towards Seabrook.
-Follow signs for Rte 286 East to Seabrook.
-Follow Rte 286 about 2.5 miles to Rte 1A.
-Take a left on Rte 1A North to Hampton Beach (about 2.5 miles).
-Find parking along the beach by South Bath house or on side roads. You should be able to park immediately in the lot by the ocean if you come early enough.

Map View

Parking

Several parking lots are available within walking distance of the event. All parking is pay and display. Arrive early to avoid the traffic!

Road Closures

Spectators and Hampton residents: Due to the size of this race, some roads will be closed to auto traffic. Please take note of the following road closures on Sunday morning:

7:45 to 9:15 — The Beach District
8:10 to 9:10 — The Hampton Harbor Bridge
8:30 to 11:00 — Ocean Blvd from the Beach District to North Shore
8:40 to 10:20 — North Shore from Ocean to Cusack
8:45 to 10:00 — Seaview Ave
8:55 to 10:15 — Cusack (From North Shore to Seaview)
8:30 to 10:30 — Huckleberry – (East side only)
9:00 to 11:30 — Ocean Blvd North Bound lanes (from Huckleberry to Hampton Beach)

Notification signs will be placed along the course during the week leading up to the event. Detours will be set up around a few key areas. In particular, Route 1A at Atlantic Road will have a detour to Route 1 using Atlantic to Winnacunnet Road. Please arrange your travel plans accordingly. For example, if you live on a street scheduled to be closed but need to drive early on Sunday morning, park your car on a non-closed street on Saturday night so you’ll be able to easily drive out.

If you have questions about road closures, please email info@hamptonrockfest.com.

beach-jump

crowd-view-from-stage

band-on-stage

people-eating-food

two-people-holding-beers-excitedly

female-friends-poast-race-beer

purple-shirt-band-member

women-front-stage

girls-post-race-jump

guitarist-with-wigs

man-parents-post-race

female-friends-post-race

The After Party

You’ve never experienced a party like this after a race. The Smuttynose Rockfest Half & 5k features a massive festival where over 8,000 people descend on this scenic beach town to cheer on the runners and party all day! Bring your friends and family and get ready for a day of fun at one of New Hampshire’s biggest festivals.

To start, pick between one of two awesome live bands we’ll have performing. One will be inside the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. The other will be outside on the boardwalk on the Sea Shell Stage. Bands will be announced closer to race day.

We also know you’ll be hungry for more than music when you finish. Treat yourself to a smorgasbord of food like lobstah rolls, clam chowdah, granola bars, and vegetarian options. Plus, you’ll get two complimentary Smuttynose craft beers to wash it all down!

How It Works

Each runner receives two tickets for complimentary beer (21+), a lobster roll, clam chowder, and more included with their registration. Spectators can also purchase food+beer tickets online for just $30 and enjoy the same perks as the runners! All food is served in the Food Tent in the festival area until 1 pm. Runners can use their bib to enter the tent, and spectators can enter with their F+B ticket.

Beer will be served in the Beer Garden and The Hampton Beach Casino as well as two local bars next to the festival. For the local bars, runners will need to use the two beer tickets attached to their bib to get their drinks. Spectator F+B tickets will also include two beer tickets to be used at the local bars. These tickets can be redeemed for two draft Smuttynose beers until 1 p.m. The select local bars accepting these tickets will be announced prior to the event.

Runners and spectators must be 21 to enter the bars, Beer Garden or Casino. Please drink responsibly.